S&W Break Top ...What did I buy?

[rbertalotto]

I was in my LGS and saw this for $225..............Looked in great shape so I grabbed it.

What did I buy. I know near nothing about this type of revolver:

S&W Break Top
38S&W
4" barrel
Serial # 370289









Anything else you could tell me about it would be greatly appreciated

[JohnsonBarr]

It's 4th Model .38DA They make dandy shooters. I've been using mine as main match pistol at NCOWS matches. Recently took 1st place Men's Smokeless Duelist at one day match at the 2014 Convention at Springfield, MO. My pet load is: 1.7grs. Accurate Nitro 100 covered by a 145 gr. LRN/.361 dia. bullet.

[rbertalotto]

THANKS!

I got Dies, and brass but still waiting for my .361 bullets from Matts Bullets

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[Blair]

Roy,

That is a nice find and, I might add, a good price.

SS# will help you identify it as a 4th or 5th Model, DA, 38 S&W (short), five shot revolver. Both were made in the 1890's and should do well with low pressure smokeless loads.

Yours is a blued gun. This makes it somewhat less common from the norm which was nickeled.

The 4" barrel length will allow you to use it as a "Pocket Pistol" class. As a DA, there may be an issue in SASS as a main match revolver?
Just some thoughts on my part.
My best,
Blair

[Trailrider]

A word of CAUTION! Check to see if this gun has a REBOUNDING HAMMER. That is, when you squeeze the double action trigger, and the hammer falls, and you then release the trigger, does the hammer move slightly to the rear? I'm not sure about the Fourth Model, but the Third Model .38's DO NOT HAVE REBOUNDING HAMMERS. If the hammer does NOT rebound, the firing pin will project from the front of the recoil shield enough to contact the primer of a live round. Should you drop the gun and it falls on the hammer spur, the gun will go off! If nothing else, you should treat the gun like a Colt's Single Action and keep the hammer down on an EMPTY CHAMBER!

[dusty texian]

That's a nice lookin little popper,,,,,,Dusty

[pony express]

That's nice! Moat of them are nickled with a 3" barrel, I think the 4" looks much better.

[JohnsonBarr]

Definitely a 4th Model. Pinned front sight is the give away. Production ran until 1905 but, your number most likely is pre-1900. Number is low enough the cylinder cuts just might have hardened steel inserts.

[Books OToole]

I use 9 mm dies to load for mine.  With a 147 grain 9 mm bullet pushed with .7 cc dipper of 3 F APP.  tI has be a safe and very accurate load for me.

Books

[pony express]

hammer down on an EMPTY CHAMBER![/b]

Just curious, since I don't have a genuine S&W top break, does the cylinder on these free wheel when not actually firing? That's how the two top breaks I have are, so it would be hard to keep the empty under the hammer.

[Trailrider]

Just curious, since I don't have a genuine S&W top break, does the cylinder on these free wheel when not actually firing? That's how the two top breaks I have are, so it would be hard to keep the empty under the hammer.

The S&W .38 DA's lock up with the hammer fully down or at half or full cock. I've seen a number of DA-only British Bulldogs (or their Belgian knock-offs) that free-wheel, but most of them have rebounding hammers, so it doesn't matter. I've not tried it, but I've also heard of some folks lowering the hammer between the rims of two cartridges. But that doesn't give me a warm feeling (unless there's blood or some other liquid running down my pants!)   

[JohnsonBarr]

Those little pieces with the hammer that lays at rest with the firing pin protruding from the recoil shield can be fully loaded and carried safely by placing the hammer down between cartridge case heads. The protruding firing pin prevents the rotation of the cylinder and the hammer from coming into contact with primer until the piece is purposely cocked either by single or double action motions. Both SASS and NCOWS require 5-shooters to be carried with the hammer down between chambers. The pistols with rebounding hammers are only safe with hammer down on an empty chamber.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I just tried the trick of lowering the firing pin between rims on my 3rd Model DA 38.



I have often heard this can be done with an older revolver to safely load the cylinder full. I am here to tell you that this trick does not work with a Colt Single Action Army chambered for 45 Colt. The space between rims is so narrow that the firing pin winds up resting on the bevel of the rims. Any rotational force applied to the cylinder will cause the firing pin to ride up over the rims, allowing the cylinder to come to rest with the firing pin contacting a primer. This may work with a smaller caliber, like 357 Mag, in a SAA, but for large diameter rims like 45 Colt, it does not work.

It does work with my 38 Double Action. There is enough space between rims for the firing pin to protrude enough to prevent the cylinder from rotating.

However................great caution must be taken when doing so. The cylinder must be carefully lined up so that the firing pin is between rims when closing the gun. This is trickier than simply lowering the hammer of a SAA, since you are rotating the barrel to the locked position with a S&W Top Break.  So if you are going to try this trick, be very careful while closing the gun to be sure the firing pin will line up between the rims.

[MJN77]

I am here to tell you that this trick does not work with a Colt Single Action Army chambered for 45 Colt.

Yes it does if you have a sharp point on your firing pin. Not advocating it, but it works.